Locking up Savings? Sovaldi Could be Cost Effective for Prisons: Study

By

Ed Silverman

Oct 28, 2014 8:43 am ET

Although the high cost of the newest hepatitis C treatments are vexing public and private insurers, one medication may offer an economic benefit to prisons, according to a new study.

Using computer models, a group of researchers found that Sovaldi, which is sold by Gilead Sciences, is more cost effective than either an older combination of drugs or no treatment at all. Moreover, the findings, which were published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, suggest that providing the drug to infected inmates may have wider societal implications beyond prison walls.